The House Judiciary Committee opened hearings this morning on firearms and more specifically assault weapons. Ranking member 9th District Congressman Doug Collins in his opening statement sought to clarify and educate the Committee on basic firearm terminology so that going forward there is a common understanding of the basic facts.
Unfortunately, many in the American public, in the media and, shockingly, in this body do not understand the difference. We must understand what different firearms do and how they function if we want to have effective laws to prevent gun violence. I can’t imagine anyone here today would advocate for legislation that does not actually make our families safer, but that’s where I fear we’re headed.
The Congressman went on:
Finally, let’s review how these so-called “assault weapons” are used in crime. Some estimates calculate the number of “assault weapons” in private hands at around 10 million. In 2017, according to the FBI, there were 403 murders committed with all rifles, not just those deemed by some to be “assault weapons.” By comparison, knives or other cutting instruments were used in 1,591 murders. Blunt objects such as clubs, hammers and bats were used in 467 murders. Hands and feet were used in 696 murders.
Congressman Collins complete opening statement is available here.